2027: Nigerian women push lawmakers to pass special seats bill

On Monday, many women gathered peacefully at the entrance of the National Assembly in Abuja. They asked lawmakers to quickly pass the Women Reserved Seats Bill before the 2027 general elections.

The bill is one of 44 important constitutional amendment bills currently waiting for final approval by the National Assembly and state Houses of Assembly.

If passed, the bill will change the 1999 Constitution to create special seats for women in the National Assembly and state Houses of Assembly. These seats will only be contested by women.

The aim of the bill is to increase the number of women in Nigeria’s legislature. Women currently have very low representation in both the Senate and the House of Representatives.

Speaking at the rally, Ene Obi, a former Convener of the Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room, praised lawmakers for the progress made so far. However, she urged them not to delay the final approval of the bill.

She said the women were not protesting but holding a peaceful rally. She explained that they were organized and orderly and were waiting patiently for lawmakers to address them.

Obi added that passing the bill early would give political parties and female candidates enough time to prepare for the 2027 elections.

Rahila Dauda, who represented the International Federation of Women Lawyers, also spoke at the event. She described the low number of women in Nigeria’s legislature as unacceptable. She said that although women make up more than half of Nigeria’s population, only about four or five women are currently in the National Assembly.

She urged lawmakers to pass the bill and make history by supporting Nigerian women.

Another speaker asked that the bill should also reserve five percent of the special seats for women and girls living with disabilities. She said the Disability Act already provides five percent representation for persons with disabilities and called for inclusion of women and girls with disabilities in the new framework.

Nigeria has one of the lowest rates of female representation in parliament in Africa. Since democracy returned in 1999, women’s participation in elective positions has remained low.

In the 10th National Assembly, women make up only a small percentage of lawmakers. The 2023 general elections even saw a